OCHA Situation Report No. 11
Lebanon
4 August 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

KEY DEVELOPMENTS
Lebanon UN Convoy Update

Nineteen UN humanitarian convoys (162 trucks) have been dispatched to 
southern Lebanon from Beirut since 26 July, supplying Tyre, Jezzine, 
Naqoura, Rmaish, Saida, Qana and Tebnine with food, medicine and 
non-food items.

Measles Campaign Launched

The Lebanese Ministry of Health, with support from UNICEF and WHO, 
launched a measles campaign this week in IDP camps in Beirut for 18,000 
children between the ages of nine month and 15 years. During next week's 
planned national campaign, some 55,000 IDP children will be immunized.

Oil Spill Reaches Syrian Coastline

The spill of up 15,000mt of fuel oil on 13 July has polluted over 80km 
of the Lebanese coastline and has now reached the Syrian coastline. UNEP 
has warned the slick, a result of an Israeli aerial attack on a power 
plant outside of Beirut, could end up being an environmental catastrophe 
and could threaten the Mediterranean region.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Displacement Update

1. As of 2 August, the Government of Lebanon's (GoL) Higher Relief 
Council (HRC) reports that 841 people have been killed and 3,243 people 
have been injured due to the on-going conflict. The HRC also reports 
that 913,760 people, about one-quarter of Lebanon's population, have 
fled their homes. Most of the displaced are said to be located in South 
Beirut, Tyre (Sur), Sidon (Saida), Chouf, and Aaley.

2. Although an estimated 565,000 displaced persons are staying with 
relatives and friends, the HRC estimates 128,000 are located in schools 
and public institutions in Lebanon, and 220,000 have fled to neighboring 
countries, including 150,000 to Syria. Some 115,000 Third Country 
Nationals from around 20 countries continue to remain trapped in 
Lebanon.

3. It is reported that thousands of people have left Tyre, in southern 
Lebanon, over the past two days, reducing Tyre's population from over 
100,000 to around 15,000 people.

4. Since 22 July, thousands of Palestine refugees have fled the Wavell, 
Rashidieh and El Buss UNRWA camps in southern Lebanon. UNRWA is 
extending humanitarian aid to Lebanese who have taken refuge in UNRWA 
camps in southern Lebanon. Two UNRWA camps around Saida, Mieh Mieh and 
Ein el-Hilweh, are hosting the largest number of those who have fled 
during this conflict, almost 2,500 people. The three camps around Tyre 
now hold 762. Beirut's Sabra camp is currently hosting 227 new persons 
and the camps in the North (the Tripoli area) have received 70 persons. 
UNRWA have expressed their concern over the short supply of medicine.

5. UNHCR estimates that 5,000 Lebanese are arriving daily into Syria. 
The northern border point of Jusieh, previously a lesser used crossing 
point with some 300-600 arrivals per day, received an estimated 1,300 
arrivals on Monday and 2,500 arrivals on Tuesday. The condition of the 
refugees arriving now is reportedly worsening.

SECURITY

6. Security Phase IV remains across the country. Heavy exchanges of fire 
continued unabated throughout the UNIFIL area of operation and Hezbollah 
fired approximately 100 rockets against northern Israel over the past 
24-hours. The IDF continues intensive shelling and aerial bombardment 
across southern Lebanon.

7. IDF fire (artillery, air and naval), remain a dominant security risk 
to humanitarian operations in the south. Last night, the IDF entered 
Lebanese territory in the general area of Sarda in the eastern sector. 
Heavy shelling was reported this morning, but no ground fighting. With 
the expansion of ground offensive operation by the IDF, the likelihood 
of aid workers and civilians being caught in crossfire between the IDF 
and Hezbollah is also rising.

8. Road conditions continue to vary as a result of ongoing hostilities. 
Unexploded ordinance are increasingly present in the rubble and along 
roads. As a result, convoy movement is proving to be problematic and 
time consuming with trips from Beirut to Tyre taking approximately five 
to six hours.

9. Two Hezbollah rockets impacted directly on a UNIFIL position in the 
general area of Hula yesterday evening, causing extensive material 
damage, but no casualties.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

10. The Government of Israel's High Coordination Committee (HCC) has 
informed WFP that emergency fuel supplies will be given safe passage 
into Lebanon, agency officials say. Two tankers, carrying a total of 
87,000mt of fuel, are to be allowed to dock in the ports of Beirut and 
Tripoli.

11. Two UN convoys arrived in Saida (six trucks) and Tyre (nine trucks) 
yesterday carrying food and other emergency supplies. A third convoy 
also left Tyre for Tibnin, carrying relief supplies provided from WFP, 
UNICEF, the HRC and NRC, while a fourth convoy left Aarida for Beirut. A 
WFP planned convoy from Beirut to Jezzine was postponed until tomorrow, 
as WFP did not have armored escort vehicles in Beirut.

12. The Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit has developed, with input from 
partners, a preliminary list of sites that pose, or may pose, acute 
environmental risks - in particular damaged industrial facilities, as 
well as environmental hazards such the 13 July oil spill on the Lebanese 
coast - and will share this with the Ministry of Environment and others 
to form an initial basis for assessment and mitigation activities that 
will be conducted by the experts the Joint Unit is working to deploy 
early next week.

13. The new Director of Logistics at WFP met with the Head of the 
Lebanese HRC to identify government priorities and discuss cooperation 
between the UN and the GoL in relief operations. Information on road 
conditions in the south has also been compiled by UNDP which is provided 
to WFP to assist with the coordination of relief convoys.

14. UNDP is compiling information on displaced people to enable proper 
mapping to help relief operations. OCHA and UNDP will support the HRC in 
establishing a Joint Data Cell to consolidate information collected from 
a recent IDP Rapid Assessment.

15. UNFPA has dispatched an additional 2,000 family hygiene kits to 
Lebanon and is also coordinating an in-depth assessment of 
gender-related humanitarian issues - including the needs of pregnant and 
lactating women, protection issues, access to services, and psychosocial 
needs. UNFPA Syria has now provided 12,000 family hygiene kits to 
refugees from Lebanon through the Syrian Red Crescent, UNRWA, UNHCR and 
local NGOs, in coordination with the Syrian Ministry of Social Affairs.

16. UNICEF delivered supplies today to the local hospital in Tebnin 
including drinking water, essential drugs and family hygiene kits. 
UNICEF reports that roads were empty and people were sheltering indoors 
and in public spaces including the hospital. Reportedly, 2,000 people 
fled yesterday and only 25% of the population remains in the area. Those 
that remained were extremely afraid and are not venturing outdoors. One 
of the most urgent needs for those left behind is potable drinking 
water.

17. WHO is increasingly concerned about water and sanitation problems 
increasing the risk of infectious diseases. Diarrhoea has been reported 
in schools being used as temporary shelter. A matrix on health 
activities in Syria entitled "Who is doing What, Where" will be 
available today on the WHO Syria website http://who.un.org.sy. WHO and 
USAID are distributing Emergency Health Kits (10 from WHO and eight from 
USAID), each serving a population of 10,000 people for a three month 
period. An essential medicines list for treatment of major 
non-communicable disease and other conditions is now available on the 
WHO web site 
http://www.who.int/hac/crises/lbn/sitreps/Lebanon_essential_medicine.pdf.

18. An IOM convoy, consisting of 11 buses, crossed the Syrian border 
yesterday carrying 248 Ethiopians and 246 Sri Lankans. The Ethiopians 
will transit at the CARITAS-sponsored transit centre and the Sri Lankans 
in Damascus at the Mar Touma Convent in Sidnaya. Seven hundred other 
stranded migrants were also assisted, including 400 Filipinos, 250 Sri 
Lankans and 56 Vietnamese. Additional groups of Sri Lankans, Ethiopians 
and Bangladeshis are expected to be assisted within the next few days. 
Smaller caseloads will include a group of some 20 nationals of 
Madagascar, nine ex-Cameroon, as well as a handful of Nepalese by 
tomorrow.

19. An ICRC convoy reached Marjayoun today. The team offered 3,000 
meals-ready-to-eat (MRE), 500 blankets and 200 tarpaulins to the 
Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) in Hasbaya, to be distributed to families in 
the surrounding villages (Ebel Es Saqi, Kaoukaba). ICRC relief was 
delivered from Beirut to a warehouse in Jezzine. It contains 3,024 MREs, 
1,275 tarpaulins and 2,000 blankets. This material will be distributed 
in surrounding villages in the coming days. An ICRC ship arrived to the 
port of Tyre early this afternoon carrying 100mt of MREs, sleeping mats, 
blankets, water and sanitation equipment, jerry-cans and baby food. This 
assistance will be distributed in Tyre and the surrounding areas.

20. The Lebanese Red Cross Society (LRC) has evacuated 542 wounded, 
transported 3,493 medical cases and collected 153 bodies since 12 July.

21. The NGO Near East Foundation, working with partner NGOs, is 
currently providing 2,000 displaced children with psychosocial support; 
distributing food supplements to 8,000 displaced families and has 
distributed blankets, mattresses, and food supplements to hundreds of 
displaced families in Saida, South Lebanon.

22. World Vision has assisted nearly 30,000 IDPs throughout the country. 
Relief activities have focused on distributions of food items, medicines 
and medical supplies, hygiene products and baby formula to some 9,500 
IDPs in and around Beirut, 5,650 in northern Lebanon, 2,950 in the Bekaa 
Valley, 2,000 in East Sidon and 9,500 in southern Lebanon.


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